Sound-modifier.



N. C. DURAND.

SOUND MODIFSER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1913.

1,197,722. PatentedSept. 12,1916;

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NELSON C. DURAND, OF NEWARK, NEW'JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TOJ VEW JERSEY PATENT COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA-TION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-MODIFIER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NELSON C. DURAND, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in sound- Modifiers, of which the following 1s adescription.

My invention relates to sound modifiers and more particularly to animproved sound modifier for use in connection with the'reproducers ofphonographs, especially phonograp'iisemployed for commercial purposes.

Thc'principal object of my invention re sides in the provision of animproved, simple, and effective device of this character which may beeconomically and practically manufactured and which is so designed thatby an easy manipulation the volume of sounds reproduced may be readilyvaried or regulated for securin" an adjustment to adapt the reproductionto the ears of any particular listener. k

Other objects of my invention will appear more fully in the followingdescription and the appended claims.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had,attention is directed to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification in which the same reference characters are used'todesignate corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a central sectional View of a phonograph reproducer and oneform of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesound modifier of Fig. 1;

is a side elevation showing in dotted lines a phonograph of the Edisoncommercial type with the deviceof Fig. 1 applied thereto and providedwith a flexible ear tube.

Referring to'the drawings, reference character 1 represents a phonographreproducer of conventional type in the sound box of usual diaphragm 2.Reference character 3 represents the rear wallof thesound box betweenwhich and the diaphragm 2 is formed a resonating chamber 4. The soundbox is provided with the usual reproducer neck 5 which extends centrallyfrom therear wall 3 thereof and the bore of which communicates with thereso-v nating chamber 4.-

Reference character 6 represents my ini- Specification of LettersPatent.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 4

14 is then applied to tubular Patented Sept. 12, 1936.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,291.

' proved sound modifier which, as shown,

comprises a tubular portion 7 having one or more longitudinal slots orkerfs 8 therein, a preferably reduced tubular portion 9, and a milled orknurled collar 10 intermediate the tubular portions 7 and 9' andpreferably formed integrally therewith. The bore 11 of the tubularportion 7 is preferably of greater diameter than the bore 12 in thetubular portion 9 and these bores 11 and 12 are connected by a taperedpassageway 13 preferably formed within that part of the modifier formingthe collar 10 intermediate the tubular portions 7 and 9.

The outside diameter of tubular portion 7 of the sound modifier 6 issuch that this portion will fit frictionally within the bore ofthereproducer neck 5. The walls of tubular portion 7 are preferablyquite thin and formed of resilient material, such as steel; and, ifdesired, this tubular portion 7 may be flared outwardly from the collar10 to a very slight degree in order to increase the frictionalresistance between the same and the bore of the reproducer neck wheninserted in the latter. Collar 10 serves as a stop for limiting theextent to which the tubular portion 7 of the modifier may be in sertedwithin the reproducer neck 5 as well as providing means whereby theposition of the tubular portion 7 within the reproducer neck 5 may bemanually adjusted or regulated. The flexible sound-conveying or ear tube14 may be applied to the tubular por tion 9 of the sound modifier toconvey the sounds fromthe reproducer to the ears of the listener.

It will be obvious that the volume of sound conveyed to the operator orother listener will depend largely on the position of the tubularportion 7 within the reproducer neck 5 and that this volume may readilybe adjusted to suit any particular listenor by properly positioning thetubular' portion 7 withiirthe reproducer neck 5 to uncover more or lessof the slots or kerfs-S and thus provide for less of thereproducedsou'nd waves to the atmosphere.

In operating the merely appl es the same to the reproducer 1 byinserting the tubular portion 7 thereof. into the reproducer neck 5. Theear tube portion 9 the volume of sound regulated to suit the device, theoperator the escape of more or a ears of the operator by properlyadjusting the position of tubular portion 7 Within the reproducer neck.

lVhile I have disclosed the nature of my invention by the illustrationand description of but a single form, it will, of course, be understood.that the invention is not limited to'that form but may be embodied innumerous other forms without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. I

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire .to protectby Letters Patent is as follows:

' 1. The combination with a sound box provided with a resonating chamberand a neck extending therefrom, of a sound modifier comprising a memberprovided with a continuous sound conducting bore therethrough and havinga tubular end portion which is connected with said neck for longitudinaladjustment with respect thereto and whereby said member is supportedentirely from the sound box, the said tubular end portion beinglongitudinally slotted whereby more or less of the sound waves may passdirectly to the atmosphere according to the position of said tubular endportion with respect to the neck of the sound box, substantially asdescribed. p

2. The combination of a sound box having a diaphragm therein providing achamber in the sound box on one side of the diaphragm and a sound boxtube projecting from said chamber, of a sound modifier comprising anopen ended tubular member, one end portion of which is adjustablyconnected with said sound box tube and is longitudinally slotted and theother'end portion of which is adapted to be connected with a soundconveyer, said tubular member being provided with unitary meansintermediate its end portions for adjusting the same lon gitudinallywith respect to the sound box and for engagement with the sound box tubeto limit its movement in one direction, sub stantially as described.

3. The combination with a sound box and a sound conveyer, of asoundmodifier comprising a tubular member having a con-- tinuous open-endedbore and forming the sole means of connection between the adjacent endsof the sound box tube and the sound conveyer, the opposite end portionsof said member being connected to said adjacent ends of the sound boxtube and sound conveyer respectively, one of such end portions having alongitudinal slot, and said member being longitudinally adjustable withrespect to the device with which the slotted end por cent ends of thesound box'tube and the round conveyer, the opposite end portions of saidmember being connected to said adjacent ends of the sound box tube andsound conveyer respectively, the end portion of said member connected tothe sound box tube having a longitudinal slot, and said member beinglongitudinally adjustable I with respect to the sound box tube touncover more or less of said slot while maintaining a fixed positionwith respect to said sound conveyer, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a sound box, a sound modifier comprising a tubularmember' having a continuous open-ended bore and having one end portionthereof connected with the sound box, whereby the tubular member isentirely supported by said sound box, and a sound conveyerconnected withand supported by the other end portion of said tubular member, the endportion of said member connected with the sound box having alongitudinal slot and being adjustable longitudinally with respect tothe sound box to uncover more or less of said slot, substantially asdescribed.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of February, 1913.

NELSON C. DURAND. Witnesses:

WVILLIAM A. HARDY, MARY J. -LAIDLAW.

